Ibrahim Bilmez, one of the lawyers of Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan, said that all international forces benefiting from the deadlock of the Kurdish issue were involved in the conspiracy and underlined the responsibility of international forces and institutions such as the ECHR and the CPT in bringing isolation to this point.

Speaking to ANF, lawyer Ibrahim Bilmez said that on and before 15 February 1999, all international and regional powers that had an interest in the Kurdish issue to remain unsolved played a role in the handing over of Abdullah Öcalan to Turkey.

Bilmez said: “Unfortunately, all these forces come together when the issues are Abdullah Öcalan and the Kurdish question. All doors in Europe were closed to Abdullah Öcalan, and airspace was declared a no-fly zone. Abdullah Öcalan was declared persona non grata. However, Abdullah Öcalan's main purpose in his journey to Europe was to tell everyone that it would be easier to resolve the Kurdish issue through democratic and peaceful means. He chose Europe for this, to promote dialogue. If he had chosen war, the armed struggle, he would have turned towards the mountains. He makes this very clear in his defense. At that time, an international conspiracy was organized against Abdullah Öcalan, which meant against peace and the hope of peace. Today, although 23 years have passed, we know very well that the conspiracy continues in the form of isolation policies. The isolation currently in place cannot be accepted. Just as Abdullah Öcalan maintained his democratic and peaceful stance at that time despite all the negativities, he maintained the same stance persistently and sincerely during and after the 15 February 1999 process and during the 23 years he spent in Imrali.”

We cannot describe the current situation through law

Noting that the Imrali system has no place in any law, lawyer Bilmez continued: “There is nothing that can be explained using the constitution, law, decree, or regulation. We can no longer even hear from Abdullah Öcalan and our three other clients in Imralı. We have tried all the ways. Every week, a lawyer, a family member and a guardian apply for a visit. Although we send letters, we do not receive any answers. Our clients can't use their right to a phone call. There is nothing like this in the world. A state that writes a state of law in its constitution, accepts itself as a state of law, and says that it is bound by the law. What we are witnessing here is completely illegal; the state cannot continue such an isolation practice, which has neither legal nor legitimate ground to be in place. It is not possible to describe these practices using any law. Abdullah Öcalan and our other clients are being held hostage.”

The result of the approach to the Kurdish question

Stating that the approach of the state to the Kurdish issue is the same as the approach to Imralı, lawyer Bilmez said: “When isolation is imposed in Imrali, the Kurdish people know that we are far from a solution to the Kurdish issue. In other words, the solution to the Kurdish issue is not on the state's agenda and instead, security policies are in effect. This means operations against the legal institutions of the Kurds, arrest of the Kurds in scores, and operations against guerrilla forces. The Kurdish people know that this is the method that has been used for 40 years. A method that cannot solve the issue. Therefore, this isolation is actually having a huge negative impact on Turkish politics. Turkey's politics remain under constant tension due to the unwillingness to solve the Kurdish issue, and politics is currently polarized. This polarization, which has already become a political feature of the current government, is also leading to a feeling of further exclusion of the Kurds. The Kurds feel alienated from the system because of these policies of isolation and deadlock. These policies should be stopped as soon as possible. All these practices must be ended in order to normalize politics and look to the future more confidently.”

We have reached the worst stage of isolation

Pointing out that the international conspiracy is carried on through isolation policies, lawyer Bilmez said that Abdullah Öcalan said that the forces that played a role in the conspiracy process also played a role in the establishment of the isolation system in İmralı.

Bilmez said that as Abdullah Öcalan's lawyers, they continue to apply to all relevant judicial and administrative mechanisms in Turkey. “For 23 years, we haven’t got any positive result from any court. Because when Abdullah Öcalan is in question, there is no such thing as judiciary. After exhausting domestic law, we resorted to international mechanisms, like the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) or the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT). Considering the point we have reached today, we can clearly say that we are going through the worst phase of isolation. For nearly a year, we haven't heard any news at all. Since March 2021, we have heard nothing about our client. Therefore, we can say that international institutions such as the ECHR and the CPT are also responsible for isolation to have reached this point. The CPT has visited Imrali before. There were reports published after these visits, but the requirements of these reports were not fulfilled. The CPT also did not make the necessary effort for Turkey to ensure the implementation of these reports. Had there been enough effort, the CPT would have forced Turkey to take action and the isolation would not have reached this stage. Therefore, these forces have a role in the continuation and deepening of isolation.”